Hidden Salt

I was reading an article in the January 2009 issue of Consumer Reports about hidden salt in our food. The average American eats about 4,000 mg of sodium each day. The Dietary Guidelines suggest that we have less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. People with high blood pressure should aim for less than 1,500 mg per day. If you start reading labels, you will see how difficult it is to stay below these guidelines.

Salt vs sodiumSalt and sodium are the same thing. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium.

Labels correctConsumer Reports took 37 different foods and analyzed them to see if the amount of sodium in the product matched the sodium listed on the Nutrition Facts panel. Good news: It did in 36/37 cases.

Why so much?Sodium tastes good! Food manufacturers and restaurants know that people perceive food as tasting better when it has a little bit (or a lot bit) of sodium added. They are out to sell products, and taste wins over nutrition in the minds of many consumers.

Cut back on sodium

We know that sodium is directly related to blood pressure. The American Medical Association says that reducing dietary sodium in half would save 150,000 lives every year.

Read labels to see how much sodium is in the foods you are eating.

Challenge yourself to write down the sodium content of everything you eat for one day.

Even if you never pick up the salt shaker, you can end up with a lot of sodium in your diet just from eating processed and prepared foods.